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End of Year Recap: Top Posts of 2017

Like I did last year, I thought that I would again share the five most popular posts of 2017. With so much talk this year about marijuana, prostitution, electric vehicles, and other hot topics, I assumed that those topics would dominate the list, but that was not the case. Interestingly, three of the top five posts were also on the list for 2016 (albeit in different positions). Will the trend continue next year? Only time will tell.

5. Single Family Use

This was the fourth most popular post in 2016. From 2014, this post describes a few court cases about single family use restrictions and provides tips for enforcing single family use clauses if they haven’t been enforced in several years.

4. Update: New Dates for Condo Act

One of two posts on the list written in 2017, this post described the implementation dates for the changes to the Condominium Act, 1998, after the passage of the Protecting Condominium Owners Act, 2015. The original date was July 1, 2017, but this was delayed to September 1, 2017. [Note: see these posts for more current information: Amendments coming January 1, 2018 and What is changing come November 1, 2017.

3. Making Entry to a Unit

A popular post in 2016 (when it was fifth) and 2017. This post from 2014 describes the requirements for making entry to a unit or exclusive use common elements: reasonable notice; at a reasonable time; and for purposes related to the objects and duties of the corporation. [Note: section 19 of the Act, which authorizes entry to the units and exclusive use common elements, is being amended to authorize entry without notice in emergencies if the declaration or by-laws permits such].

2. We want to remove the board because we want to fire the manager

This post was the most popular post of 2016. It came about after I attended two requisition meetings within the span of a week where the owners wanted to requisition a meeting to remove the board so the new board could get rid of the manager. The post describes the process for requisitioning a meeting to remove the board, but it also provides practical advice for owners, boards, and managers when requisitions are made by the owners to remove the board. [Note: the requisition process will change with the amendments, but the other advice is still relevant].

1. Changes are Coming – Chargebacks

The top post of 2017! I wrote this post to summarize a presentation that I did on the amendments to the Act, especially as they relate to chargebacks and liens. The post explained the new process for charging costs back to owners where the owner’s conduct has caused the condominium to incur the cost, such as failing to pick up after their dog. The post also discussed common misconceptions about payments made by owners where liens are registered against their units.

If you have any ideas for posts, or if you’d like me to revisit any issues written about in the past, let me know!